


Two Assholes Fell in Love

by Mystress



Category: Demonheart (Visual Novel)
Genre: Eventual Smut, Evil Defiant Bright, Explicit Language, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Light Dom/sub, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:34:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26279512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystress/pseuds/Mystress
Summary: My fun take on the Bright/Brash relationship. Demonheart is my all time fav love story. I enjoyed the darker more morally ambiguous setting.Evil/Defiant Bright.Brash as Brash.Leave a kudos if you appreciated it.
Relationships: Sir Brash/Bright (Demonheart)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

Bright’s stomach growled at the worst possible time. She had been crouched behind some crates waiting for an opening that wasn't presenting itself. The stall keeper was enthusiastically chatting with customers, oblivious he was being watched, but also not stepping away long enough for her to make a move. The next guard patrol was bound to come by again soon. She was going to have to change tactics. Pulling her cloak over her head, she casually left the shadows to look for a new mark. Maybe some careless rich idiot would be walking around with an unguarded coin pouch. She blended in with the crowds and eventually spotted an opportunity. With a quick swipe of a sharp blade, the pouch landed in her hand. She made her way to her favourite dark alley. Once she was far enough away, she counted the coins, much less than she was hoping for, but enough so she could stop to buy enough food to keep them fed for a couple of days. 

She gingerly opened the door which creaked under its own weight, threatening to fall off its hinges again. Inside the small rooftop attic she had to call home, it barely had space to contain a small bed, table and a couple chairs. A lit oil lantern, she had recently borrowed from an unguarded noble’s yard, was sitting on the table along with a couple bowls and spoons. Her mother had been waiting for her return. 

“Bright! Thank the gods you’re back. I always worry so much when you’re out there.” she tried to sit up from the bed but winced from pain and then slumped back down. 

“It’s ok mother, save your strength. Here, I got us some food.” She tore off a piece of bread and cheese for her mother and along with a cup of milk. Her mother gave her a dark look. She didn’t like that her daughter had to steal to keep them alive. Her mother would much rather she find work, but sadly, work for a young woman from the slums was not easy to come by. The last time she found work as a maid, the man tried to force himself on Bright and so she vowed never to work for some damned noble ever again. There was more dignity in stealing from them as far as she was concerned. Since then, her mother would no longer ask how the items she brought home were acquired. 

Whatever odd illness struck her once proud mother was preventing her from working. With her father having died in the mines several years ago, Bright worried she would soon lose her mother too. 

“Do you need anything else mother?” she asked quietly. 

Her mother shook her head as she ate the last of her food. “You’ve done quite enough dear.” she smiled weakly. 

“Good.” Bright stood once again after finishing her own meal. “You keep resting, I’m heading out.”

“Oh.” her mother was visibly sad to be left alone again, “But it’s going to be dark out soon.”

“I made plans to see Mark.” she responded casually.

“Yes… Well, say hi to Mark for me.” she said, trying to sound cheerful. 

Mark was slightly better off in life and determined to climb the ranks at any cost. That’s what drew her to him initially. He joined the city guard a little while ago and shortly after proposed. She accepted. Anything to get out of the slums. Mark started off as a nice enough guy but since he took this job, he wasn’t around very much. He has money, authority and a sword all of a sudden and this seems to have changed him in unexpected ways. Once meek and insecure, he was now turning into an arrogant and controlling man. Her determination to leave the slums was being challenged by the thought of what it would mean to commit herself to the asshole that was slowly revealing itself to her. 

She arrived at the quiet docks with the full moon shining down it’s blue glow. Sitting on the edge of a gently rocking dock, she waited while listening to the creaking of the wood and the croaking of frogs. After what felt like an eternity, Mark’s footsteps sounded at the edge of the dock, steadily coming closer. 

“You’re late.” she accused. 

“Give me a break Bright. I just got off my patrol not even an hour ago.” he huffed as he sat down behind her. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, cupping her breast with one hand while the other moved her long red hair away from her neck and kissed it hungrily.

It had been a while since they had been able to meet alone after all, and she wasn’t without desires. His cock pressed hard against her back. She involuntarily released a moan despite herself when he tweaked her nipple. That’s all she needed to give in. She turned around and straddled him. He exposed her breasts with a simple untying of the cord that kept the fabric from falling from her shoulders and started licking them. His hands were busy shifting as little clothing could, as fast as he could, to expose them both. And without delay, he raised her hips above his and pressed her down onto him. He inhaled sharply with excitement. Bright realised this was, once again, going to be over very quickly. He guided her hips frantically and before she knew it, it was over. He pulsed inside her with release and then relaxed. 

“That. Was. Amazing. You beautiful thing.” Mark laid back on the dock. 

Bright sighed while standing and straightened her clothes, “So, you’ve been having fun playing soldier from what I gather? I never see you anymore.”

Mark frowned, “I’m not playing Bright. It’s hard work and I’m taking you with me for the ride without asking for anything in return so you best remember it.”

“Ah, is that how you see it?” Bright raised an eyebrow in mock curiosity.

“I’m not some peasant from a slum like you. I could have chosen many other women that had more to offer you know.” It was his turn to straighten his clothes as he turned to look at her.

“I see, so why even grace me with this great honour?” she pretended to bow.

Mark stroked her cheek, “You’re too beautiful to be left in the slums, or at least I thought. This attitude of yours though is getting out of hand. It certainly won’t do to have a mouthy, unruly wife as the future knight of Feline.”

“You’re becoming a knight now?” Bright stared at him in disbelief. 

“Yep!” he said smugly, “Lord Second believes that I show good promise and is providing some special training. Think about it Bright. You will look absolutely glorious by my side!”

“Well I guess that sort of explains why I don’t see you much lately.” she said dismissively, “Wait if there aren’t any knights in Feline, who’s training you?” 

Mark grimaced, “Just some random knights from Scarcewall.” he practically spat at the name. Scarcewall and Feline are always, well usually, at odds. The biggest difference however was Scarcewall had the biggest army in all the south. Their knights are infamous and rumoured to be corrupt, only loyal to their Lord Mace. The lord of Feline, Lord Second, always had something nasty to say about Scarcewall, so no one knew how much of the rumours were true.

“How is that possible? Lord Second can hardly stand anyone from Scarcewall! Now he’s arranging training for you with our enemies?” Bright couldn’t understand how Mark could have gotten this level of attention. He’s so… basic! 

“Damn Bright, you need to show some respect. As my future wife you’re going to need to get used to it.” he grabbed her chin between his fingers a bit forcefully.

“Let go of me Mark.” she warned. 

Mark looked back defiantly but after a few seconds, backed off. “I’m quite serious, Bright. You will learn to show me the respect a knight deserves. I can, and will, find someone else otherwise.” he said menacingly. 

On her way back home, she wrestled in her mind whether or not she would be willing to call the whole thing off now that there’s a chance she might become a Feline noble. Would it be worth putting up with Mark’s bigotry for the rest of her life? Bright wasn’t used to taking shit from anyone. Despite the poverty, she taught herself how to prowl in the shadows and pickpockets after her father died. As much as she wanted to leave the slums, marrying Mark may result in his murder. And what’s the point if she was just going to end up in jail... or worse? 

Her mother was snoring in her sleep and only slightly stirred at Bright’s late return. She tried to quietly rummage through her leather bag looking for a vial. She definitely didn’t want to have a baby with Mark and needed to take it within a few hours. Better to take it now than forget, she thought. As she pulled the stopper from the vial, she accidentally dropped it. It shattered on the floor, spilling its precious contents. 

Bright gasped feeling the panic rise in her. This was bad. This was really bad. What was she going to do? She had gotten lucky last time when she pickpocketed a whore’s coin pouch. This stuff could only be reliably found from one place and time was of the essence. She is going to have to go directly to the source.

She knew sneaking around a witch’s house at night was reckless. She had no idea what witches were capable of. Most of the tales she had heard hinted they were powerful evil women. Orchid however, seemed to be an exception as she stationed herself in Feline as their beloved healer. 

The prospect of stealing from a witch would likely scare most reasonable people. For Bright however, this was when she felt the most alive. She felt in control of her life. She steadied her breath and approached the witch's house looking for an easy entry point. A window left open invited her to slide quietly in. 

She had been to Orchid’s a few times in the past but had only seen the shop. This was definitely not the shop, this was a study of sorts. She scanned the room, it was cosy. A sofa sat between two large bookcases overflowing with books against the far wall. In the middle of the room, a desk and chair dominated the rest of the space. Ink pots, quills, papers with diagrams, lists and notes laid across the entire surface as if she has been doing some sort of research. Several books with bookmarks sticking out the side also adorned the top of the desk. One book, left open, drew her in for reasons she didn’t understand. She should be focused on getting the vial and rushing out of here, instead she curiously stared at a beautifully drawn picture. The drawing of some sort of half demon, protectively positioned between a woman and a large demon. Some notes were scribbled on the margins of the book that read “Perfect alliance?”.

From sheer curiosity, she took the book before heading into the shop. The shop was dark and quiet, and thankfully seemed fully stocked. She scanned the shelves and quickly found the potion in question. When she turned back, an orange cat seemed to come out of nowhere. It sat on the counter calmly and stared at her unnervingly. Bright froze at the sight, waiting to see if it was going to do anything but seemed content to simply be staring at her. She was almost at the door when she heard some steps coming from behind her. She tried to run for the door but was frozen in place by some magical field. Her heart sank. It was game over. 

“Thank you for letting me know Mr. Edgardo.” Orchid, a beautiful woman in her late 30s strode in and calmly patted the cat’s head, “You have some nerve stealing from a witch. What would bring someone to do something so... deadly.” Orchid took the leather bag from Bright’s shoulder and emptied its contents onto the shop’s counter. The witch quickly recognized both items and simply started at them for a few seconds before reacting. 

“Look if you’re going to kill me, just do it.” said Bright. Not her smartest move, but being paralyzed by magic can do that to you. The helplessness of it was unbearable. 

Orchid peeled her gaze from the items and slowly walked close enough to Bright to get a good look at her and seemed to be searching her face for clues. “You’re the thief girl from the slums…” she said matter of factly as if she was piecing some sort of puzzle together as she went. 

Bright had never been caught. She’d also never stolen from the witch before. “How do you know that?” she exclaimed. 

The witch waved her hand dismissively, she wasn’t going to be the one answering questions. “The anti-pregnancy vial is obvious. But, why the book?”

“Why does that even matter?” Bright knew she should be trying to convince this witch not to kill her but her mouth always ran on her. 

“It will determine whether or not I will kill you girl. Now answer the question.” Orchid threatened.

Bright gulped, “Look I came for the vial. The book just had an image that caught my attention and…”

“An image? The image of the demonspawn and the woman?” Orchid cocked an eyebrow. 

“I think so.” answered Bright. The witch seemed to have relaxed from her murderous intent.

“That is very... interesting. Quite amazing actually that you are drawn to the subject.” mumbled the witch, mostly to herself despite still looking at Bright with renewed curiosity, “Well it’s settled then. You are to become my assistant.”

“What?” Bright couldn’t believe what she just heard. Orchid dropped the magical field.

“Well, I can’t forget this transgression. But, lucky for you, you are what I’ve been looking for. You will come back tomorrow morning, and every morning thereafter. I will train you to tend the shop.”

“You’re making me your slave?” Bright didn’t like the sounds of this at all.

“Only if you force me to, dear. I can sense you are a smart and resourceful woman. There can be benefits to what I am offering you. But of course, if you are not willing to make amends, I could just kill you. Truly however, I want us to be... allies. I can teach you skills that will give you the independence you so desire. And in time, I will release you from my service.” Orchid seemed to be weighing her words carefully.

Bright frowned while she tried to reconcile the events. Her sixth sense was telling her this was too good to be true. Like there was more the witch wasn’t telling her. Then again, she didn’t have much of a choice. 

Mr. Edgardo was rubbing up against her calves to get her attention for the third time this morning. Bright had been busy tending to customers so he hadn’t been fed and was making sure she couldn’t forget. Bright gave him a few scritches to acknowledge his request whispering she would get to him soon. 

As the last patron left, Mark strode in, hands resting on the hilt of his sword and adorned with his usual smug expression. He was starting to really get attached to the idea of becoming a knight. She’d seen him training over the last year and the improvements were passable at best. 

“Hello Bright. How are you?” his overly polite tone in full irritating display. Great, thought Bright, he must want something.

“Mark what are you doing here?” her mouth blurted before she knew it. 

“I’ve come to ask for a favour.” he straightened his back and lifted his chin slightly so as to look down at her, “I formally request that you ask the great witch Orchid for a recommendation letter to Lord Second for my knighthood.”

“Why don’t you just ask her yourself?” she crossed her arms.

Mark’s anger was quick to rise. “You are my betrothed and we’ve been through this, you will follow my orders. Besides, this letter of recommendation will basically guarantee my promotion. Seriously Bright, do I need to say more?”

She wished she could just punch him in the face when he started power tripping. But as much as she hated to accept it, he was right. It would benefit them both. Of course, this is assuming she could be obedient enough that he would actually marry her in the end. 

“Fine.” she said coldly, “I will try but I make no promises. Ultimately, the decision will be Orchid’s.”

As soon as Mark left, Orchid appeared with Mr. Edgardo in her arms. “He has been harassing me to feed him. Has he not yet been fed?” 

Bright’s mood, still sour from her encounter with Mark came through her voice with a sigh, “Not yet, I was going to do it once the patrons were gone but then I had a visitor.”

“Yes, I heard most of that.” Orchid made her way to the kitchen with the cat and motionned for Bright to follow. “Do you not believe the boy is a good candidate for knighthood?”

“I think he would be a terrible knight but honestly, I don’t know what knights are supposed to be like. I always imagined them as strong, skilled and courageous. Mark is none of those things and...” Bright stopped herself as she realised her mouth had run on her and she was doing a poor job of convincing Orchid.

Orchid gave Mr. Edgardo his meal and finally turned her attention to Bright with a small, mischievous smile. “Sometimes, the best thing to do is to give someone their heart’s desire to see what they do with it.”

The following week, Orchid gave Bright a day off to bring her recommendation letter to Mark. It was a beautiful day to finally have all to herself so she planned on enjoying it to its fullest. She wore her favourite off shoulder light blouse, with a thin pastel green skirt and a loosely tied beige cotton corset. She tied her long red hair in a loose braid that she draped on the front of her left shoulder. Her mother was contently knitting a blanket with some wool she had recently purchased. There was a great relief for both of them once Orchid started to pay Bright a modest amount for her work. They could reliably afford the basics required to live. 

She left early as she planned on taking her time walking the streets of Feline to take in the warm morning sun before it got stifling hot. She hadn’t seen many of her friends since she started working for Orchid, she was hoping to run into some of them. Then, she would head to the market to get her favourite buttery sweetroll.

“Oi, Bright!” Jasper came running in his guard’s uniform looking a bit ragged.

“Hey Jasper! Just coming off the night shift again?” noted Bright. 

“Ah yes. It’s been difficult. I never get the chance to see you or Mark since then. How have you two been? I, um, I’ve been hearing from him that you haven’t changed a bit even since you started working at Orchid’s.” he joked but added at Bright’s frown, “Not that I think you need to change in the slightest.”

“Mark needs to learn not to talk behind his future wife’s back apparently.” Bright rolled her eyes, “But I’m fine thanks for asking. I do miss the good old days, where we would roam the streets all day, getting into all sorts of trouble.” she smiled fondly at the memory. 

Jasper shuffled uncomfortably, “Shhh, Bright. I’m a guard now, I wouldn’t want people to know what sort of trouble we’d get into. Plus, to be honest, I was trying to avoid you since I became a guard… I really didn’t want to have to arrest you if... But anyways, now that you are working for Orchid, I assume you have been doing much better. Right?” he looked at her hopefully.

“Oh Jasper, ever the optimist.” She would always have a soft spot for Jasper, he was sweet to her. She could wrap him around her finger with a simple look. And that was the problem, he hadn’t been strong enough to handle her. So the both of them eventually agreed to remain friends. She needed someone that could stand up to her and meet her dark sense of humour. 

“W-What do you mean by that? Doesn’t she pay you I mean…” he trailed off not really wanting Bright to give him an answer, just in case.

“Well, we’re doing better but, we’re still living in the slums, so that should give you a clue.” 

They chit chatted some more about the weather and other insignificant things and soon she headed to the bakery. The merchant’s street was bustling with morning activity. Bright sat in the sun and enjoyed every, single, bite of her sweetroll. She was taking the time to lick the icing off her fingers when her eyes locked with a man’s. He was looking at her with a smirk, as if he had caught her doing something indecent. She stopped licking her fingers and stared back at him as if daring him to say something. He simply shook his head and kept his horse steadily heading towards the Feline castle. 

The man’s features were rugged and his eyes were piercing like those of a dangerous predator. His shining armour reflected the hot sun and the pearl white cape announced loudly that he was an infamous Scarcewall knight. Bright was stricken with the curiosity of a cat. She wanted to see what a real knight looked like. 

“Don’t you know it’s dangerous to stare down a Scarcewall knight?” he said.

“Why is that? Is it a crime to look at someone in Scarcewall?” she mocked.

He stopped his horse to get a good look at her, “It’s just not wise for a soft pretty kitty like you to get herself noticed by the wrong type.”

“Well thank you for the warning I guess. And what type are you then?” she crossed her arms and smiled mischievously. 

“Are you stupid girl? I won’t warn you again.” he growled.

Bright cocked her head and her mouth blurted out, “Or what? Is the big scary Scarcewall knight going to hurt me?”

The knight dismounted his horse and dragged her off the main street and cornered her against a wall. “You have quite the mouth on you. I bet you’re nothing but trouble.”

Bright could feel his breath on her cheeks. This man’s energy was exhilarating, maybe even exciting. One of his eyes was scarred and strangely dark. She tried not to stare at it but it was extremely distracting. She tried to focus on the verbal battle they were having, “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“It means,” he sneered, “I pity the poor asshole that gets you for a wife.” Bright mouth was agape, she frustratingly didn’t have a retort. “Oh, cat got your tongue kitten?” She started to mount a response but he interrupted and softened, “Look, I was trying to give you some advice. I know you Feline kittens are weak and dumb. Just try to stay out of trouble. Next time you see a Scarcewall knight, don’t stare at them and especially don’t talk to them if you know what’s good for you.” And with that, he got back on his horse and disappeared. 

She stopped at a few more shops to get some various supplies for her mother and then slowly made her way to the barracks where she assumed Mark would be training. A few guards smiled at her and directed her to Mark. He was in a side yard, this is usually where he would be when he was getting private training from Scarcewall knights. She stopped in her tracks upon the realization, the knight from this morning.

When she entered the grounds, her suspicions were immediately confirmed. The large vicious knight was training Mark. Hoping to watch them for a bit, she half hid behind some stacked racks and crates filled with training weapons. 

“Gods, the others were right, you are absolutely fucking hopeless. Try again.” he swung his large sword at Marks shield with calculated force. Mark wobbled on his feet and stumbled back several steps. “What the fuck was that? We’ve been through this a hundred times. How do you expect to stay alive if you can’t get into a strong defensive stance. Gods’ damned feline pussies.” he spat. 

Mark was livid but was too scared to say anything. His face was red and he was shaking with exhaustion. Bright couldn’t help but laugh. Which of course, revealed to both men, her presence. 

Mark turned an even brighter shade of red. He had been needing someone to take his anger out on and she just presented herself as a perfect target. “Bright, what are you doing here?” he quickly headed in her direction and led her away from the knight. 

“I just thought I’d come say hi and see how your training was going. I see it’s going well.” she said stifling a smile.

Mark lost his temper completely. His face contorted and angry veins popped up on his forehead. “Don’t you dare do this right now! You are my betrothed and you will treat me with respect.” 

“Yes, right, of course my lord.” she bowed dramatically. The knight, who had followed them from a distance, had figured things out and was laughing, “I will show you respect or you will call the whole thing off, right?”

Mark grabbed her by the arm and tried to shover her away from the knight. Bright quickly wriggled out of his grasp. Mark simply glared at her menacingly.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” She showed him the letter of recommendation.

Mark blinked a few times upon realizing what she was dangling in front of him and then launched himself at the letter. Bright however, was quick and managed to dodge his initial leap. “Give me the letter, Bright.” 

She debated ripping up the letter. She knew there was a good chance he would take the letter, become a knight and then leave her in the slums anyways. Still, Orchid did write the letter so Bright could find out what Mark would do with the power he so desired. 

“So, this is the asshole that will end up with you?” said the knight.

“Sir Brash,” Mark was baffled, “You’ve met my Bright before?” 

Brash smiled at Mark, “Oh yes, she and I had a lovely run in before. She is quite the catch. Congratulations. Maybe you’re not a total idiot after all. Having a beautiful woman by your side is a form of power onto itself.” Brash turned back to Bright and gently ran the back of his fingers down Bright’s braid. Bright’s eyes rounded, looking at Brash intently. He looked back at her, his eyes speaking volumes, she suddenly understood what he was doing. She didn’t understand why he was helping her but that wasn’t going to stop her from using this opportunity to give herself some leverage. 

Mark’s tone changed now that Brash had complimented him, not bothered by how Brash was leering at her intently. Instead, Mark's chest puffed up and he looked down his nose at her. “Now my dear Bright, give me the letter.”

“No I don’t think I will. It seems obvious now that if I give you the letter you will leave me behind in the slums for sure.” she played. 

“Come on Bright. Don’t be silly, I wouldn’t have proposed to you if I wasn’t going to marry you after all. All I ask is that you show me the respect I deserve.” he said sweetly. 

“Right, I suppose that’s why you constantly remind me how you could choose anyone else, that you’re doing me a favour and that I should be grateful to you?” she asked in mock innocence. 

At those words, Brash grabbed Bright by the waist and held her close to him. “Seems you haven’t been treating your woman right, boy. Let me show you how it’s done.” He closed his lips on hers and kissed her with such fervor it took her breath away and made her legs buckle. He released her lips giving her a knowing look. He had to help hold her up as she regained her balance. “You know sweetness, you could always come back home with me instead. I’m already a knight and I know I can put that pretty mouth to good use.”

Mark stared at them, wide eyed, too scared to do anything he stuttered instead, “Sir Brash, p-please let her go. I beg you.”

Brash finally looked at Mark, “Yeah fine, I’ll let her go. But only because you asked so nicely.” He released her with a smirk and said, “If he dares leave you after this, let me know kitten,” he turned back to Mark, “and I’ll kill him for you.”

Mark gulped at the threat and Bright watched Sir Brash walk away in awe. It didn’t happen often but twice in one day did this knight succeed in leaving her speechless. As she watched him walk away, she hoped that somehow, she would see him again. 

Only a month after he submitted the letter of recommendation to Lord Second was he dubbed the first night of Feline. Time went by and although Mark’s attitude had improved temporarily after their encounter with Sir Brash, he was falling back into his old asshole habits. Knighthood did not bring out the best in him. He was rude, ruthless and did largely nothing useful for the city. 

“So how is our new knight in shining armour doing?” asked Orchid as she cooked a small steak over the kitchen fire. 

Bright waited at the table with Mr. Edgardo curled up on her lap, “Well, unsurprisingly, he’s a bigger asshole than ever before.” she sighed, “There’s no way I’m marrying him. Poverty or not. I will find another way to get out of this.”

Orchid brought each of them a plate of food that mainly contained charred steaks. They were on their second glass of wine and had been talking almost like friends. Bright had come to view Orchid like a sort of role model of a powerful woman in a society dominated by men. Except that Orchid had never taught Bright any magic. She mostly educated her on demon lore, potion mixing and tending the shop.

“Orchid, why don’t you want to make me your witch apprentice?” Bright finally had the courage to ask.

Orchid simply smiled, “That takes a certain amount of commitment that I can’t give you unfortunately. I have given you as much as I could to help you have the skills you need to survive in this world. And no matter what happens, know that I care about your future my dear. ”

Bright blinked a few moments, taken aback by Orchid's candor. “I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I’m still not sure why you decided to do all this, but thank you nonetheless.” She started to eat the steak but it was bitter and leathery. It was drowning in a sweet sauce that made it barely passable as food. Bright reached for the saucer and added as much as she thought she could get away with. Orchid seemed to have laughed under her breath but she wasn’t sure.

“You have good instincts, Bright. And, you’re right, there is something I need you to do for me.” she said leaving the room momentarily to return with a beautiful necklace on leather straps with three teardrop shaped blood red stones. 

“Wow that’s quite pretty.” Bright was inspecting the necklace closely. 

“I’m glad you like it. It’s for you actually.” Orchid motioned with a flick of the wrist and the necklace flew around Bright’s neck and clasped shut. 

Bright started to feel faint and she felt Orchid pick her up and bring her to a sofa. She laid Bright’s head on her lap and stroked it gently. “It will pass dear. Just focus on my voice for the moment. I need you to listen closely.” 

Bright mumbled uncomfortably as she strained to keep her eyes in focus.

“I have been pregnant for some time now and I will not be there after the child is born. I chose you to take care of him. I have named him Raze. Raze will need a strong woman’s guidance and love to survive this hostile world. You must understand that I am taking a huge risk with you. I need you to promise me that you will take care of him.” Orchid paused and with tears in her eyes, she looked intently at Bright waiting for a response. 

“Orchid what is… what’s happening?” It took Bright a lot of effort to speak.

“I need to hear you promise that you will take care of him, Bright. Please.” Orchid was not wavering.

“I don’t know what you mean. Where will you be?” Bright mumbled with eyes closed.

“It’s complicated. In time, I will explain everything. For now, rest then.” she responded as she wiped the beads of sweat that were forming on Bright’s forehead. Bright then lost all consciousness. 

Bright woke up a few hours later with Mr. Edgardo curled up on her stomach. The cat noticed that she was waking up so he walked on her chest, gave her a headbutt on the cheek and went to get Orchid. 

“How are you feeling?” Orchid sat by Bright and checked her forehead. 

“Like I need to throw up.” Bright said groggily, “What happened?”

Orchid sighed, “Now isn’t the time. You need rest. Go home for the night and come back to me tomorrow morning and we will talk.”

Back home in her bed, Bright had a dream that felt different from any other dream she ever had. There was a young demon boy that looked twisted and tortured. He was crying out for her help but she couldn’t understand what he was trying to say. Then some men barging into their home woke her up.


	2. Chapter 2 - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going to start adding what I have of Chapter 2 as it becomes ready. Here is part 1. 
> 
> Bright wakes somewhere unfamiliar.  
> She gets a visit from her ex who reveals his true colors (trigger warning, non-con attempt).  
> Brash visits and gives her hope.

Bright woke somewhere unfamiliar. The floor was cold and damp. The room was dark save for light shining through the doorway. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief as the surroundings came into focus. She was in a prison cell, the walls had odd red glowing runes. Last night’s events started to rush back into her consciousness. She had stayed with Orchid for dinner. She ate something and… and she fainted. Orchid told her she was pregnant and needed Bright to take care of her baby.

She reached for something hanging around her neck. The amulet. She couldn’t take it off. As if held by magic… or a curse. Her fingers continued up her neck and to her horror, found something disturbing. It’s a scar that ran the circumference of her neck. She then remembered that Orchid sent her home for the night and by the next morning, guards barged in and took her to be executed for Orchid’s... murder? Her mother had screamed and begged them not to take her.

Orchid was dead. Bright was dead. She remembered the guillotine coming down on her neck. How Mark had just watched. How the whole town watched. Was this the after life? 

“Ah, the little demon bitch is finally awake.” spat a burly guard standing at the door of her cell. 

Bright stood too fast and nearly fell over. She was weak, cold and dizzy. They had stripped her of everything but the amulet and gave her some thin rags. “Where am I?”

“Shut up!” he barked, “You should be ashamed for what you did to Orchid. I heard there was blood and guts all over the walls. You’re a sick fuck. You not only killed an innocent woman, but all those that relied on her cures. And then you had the gall to come back to life. And here we are, now I have to look at your wretched face for the rest of my days.”

“Oh poor you. And I need to sit here for the rest of my days for something I didn’t even do, at least you get to go home at night.” she retorted.

The guard waved his hand dismissively, “Yeah, yeah, that’s what they all say. Kinda hard to believe a demon bitch though. You’re going to have a hard time convincing anyone you’re innocent.”

After he spat in her cell one last time he left Bright more confused than ever. She seemed to still be in Feline given what the prison guard knew. So this wasn’t the after life. Yet the scar she felt around her neck was quite real. There was only one possible theory she could think of but she was afraid of what it might mean. Could she be a demonheart? 

Mark must have received word she was awake because he came to pay her a visit a few days later. 

“Hello Bright.” Mark was now standing inside her cell, the guard locking the door behind him. 

“Mark! You have to get me out of here. I didn’t do it. You have to believe me!” she begged.

“Bright. Please stop embarrassing yourself. You know I can’t help you, it would look dishonest given our relationship and my new position as knight.” said Mark, as if it was obvious.

“But… I’m innocent. Why would I even do something like that. Orchid gave so much to me. I have no motive… no reason to...” she started crying. 

Mark sighed as if her sadness annoyed him. “I’m just here to tell you that I had broken off the engagement before they killed you. I couldn’t be associated with a murder and much less a demon bitch. I just wanted to let you know as a courtesy.”

Bright’s anger flared as quickly as her tears, “As a courtesy?” she yelled, “That wasn’t a courtesy. You just came here to gloat. I was publicly executed! Why would anyone think you’d even still be engaged? You’re a coward and a piece of shit! If there’s one thing I’m glad for being imprisoned for something I didn't do, it’s that it saved me from a lifetime spent with you!” 

Mark smiled cruelly with satisfaction as his gaze tuned cold and lustful. He pounced on her like a rabid dog and bent her over the cell’s wooden cot. He pinned her face to the boards while he pulled out his cock. Bright couldn’t believe what was happening. She never thought Mark would be so awful that he would go this far. I guess this is what he chose to do with his heart’s desire. 

She struggled and managed to move from under him so quickly he didn’t have time to react, she kicked his dick as hard as she could. He fell to the floor clutching his groin. Prison guards rushed inside the cell to help Mark out of the cell while another held her back.

Bright was livid. She thrashed against the guard while screaming. “You better hope I never see you again Mark!” she yelled after him.

Bright had lost all hope. She spent her days sleeping and slowly going crazy. An untold amount of time had gone by when she was woken up by someone kneeling at the bottom of her cell door. 

“Here kitty, kitty. I got a little something for you.” a low deep voice called out to her.

She opened her eyes and stared blankly at the man. He had placed a sweetroll on the floor and slid it inside her cage. Surely, it was some sort of cruel joke. She wasn’t going to fall for it. At least, until the sweet smell reached her nose and melted any will power she had. Unsurprisingly, they hadn’t been feeding her very well. She sat on her heels a few feet away facing him. He looked and sounded familiar. 

“It’s ok kitten, I won’t hurt you. I just need to take a look at you.” he said motioning for her to get closer. She didn’t move. “Look, don’t make me come in there. You wouldn’t like that. Just be a good Feline kitten and get in the light.”

“Sir Brash?” she said when she saw the scar on the man’s left eye. 

Brash froze for several seconds and then he sighed. “Well I guess I’m not surprised the asshole couldn’t protect you. But it is certainly unfortunate to say the least. Makes no difference though. Neither of us can do anything about this situation unfortunately.”

Bright finally approached the bars. “What do you mean? Are you here to get me out?”

Brash laughed, “In a manner of speaking, yes. Though not today. But soon.”

“Why? What happened?” She asked with a mixture of hope and disbelief, “You better not be toying with me!”

Brash laughed even harder, “Or what little kitty? And what did I tell you about keeping your mouth shut?” He shook his head, “You look like shit by the way. Having a bad hair day?”

Bright crossed her arms, “Bad hair day? You think you’re being funny, big man?”

“Sir Brash,” the guard appeared beside the knight, “That’s enough socializing with the prisoner, you got what you came to see. She’s just a worthless demon bitch.”

Brash turned to the guard, towering over him he growled, “I am here on Lord Mace’s orders I will leave when I am satisfied.” He turned back to Bright, “Is he right, kitten? Are you a demon?”

Bright rolled her eyes, “Oh yeah, and I will kill you all! Rawwr!”

The knight chucked in amusement, “Sounds more like a house cat to me.” Brash turned back to the guard, “She’s anything but worthless so you better make sure she’s treated right. Also feed the damn thing so she’ll be able to make the journey. I’m afraid she’s going to keel over dead any moment. That would be bad news for Feline and especially for you.”

The guard nodded and quickly turned around and left. This was the most fun she’d had in months! Probably months. Or was it years? Days? 

“Anyway kitten, eat the sweetroll, you need it. And… move around your cell or something, get your body used to moving again. The journey ahead will be rough.” With those words, he left. 

Bright devoured the sweetroll. It was the best damn fucking sweetroll she’d ever had. The guards also seemed to have listened because she was getting more food. She started doing some jumps and ran in place every day. It actually was a great activity to keep herself busy and became somewhat obsessed now that she had something to focus on.

The door to her cell opened and a woman stood on the other side with a polite smile. 

“Hi there. Name’s Rose. Ambassador from Scarcewall. I’m here to take you into custody. We’re getting you out of here.” Bright rushed out of the cell in case the door closed before she could make it. Rose laughed. “Yeah, I don’t blame you girl. Follow me.”

Bright followed Rose up several flights of stairs. Her endurance was already being tested. She was out of breath and had to take it slow. But she was too busy being glad to be out of the cell to really notice. She had truly believed she would never get out of here.

Rose led her into a room that had been prepared with a bath. The water was cold but it was still the best bath she ever had. Everything felt amazing. The fresh clothes, the hair brush, the shoes.

“Wow. Brash is right you are a pretty one.” she winked. They left the prison and were led to a covered carriage which was whipped into motion as soon as they were seated.

“Not to be rude. But will you be able to tell me exactly what’s going on?” asked Bright. This was as long as she managed to wait before asking. 

“Yes, right after this.” said Rose, pulling out a dagger and slashing Bright’s arm in a quick skillful swipe. Bright screamed in pain and grasped her arm and jumped up in a crouch on top of the seat.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” She yelled.

“Sorry hun. Those were my orders. Gotta make sure you’re the real thing. Let’s see how fast you heal.” said Rose passively. 

Bright remained crouched and looked down at her arm. The gash was already gone. Now she had her proof, she was indeed, a demonheart. But how? When did it happen? Her last night with Orchid popped into her mind. That had to be it. The awful steak must have been demon flesh. Why would Orchid…

“Hey are you alright? Didn’t you know?” Rose interrupted her thoughts. Bright half shook her head and half shrugged. “Well fucking hells. That is something to drop on someone. How could you not know? You poor thing.”

Bright simply looked out the window, uncomfortable with showing such vulnerability to some stranger. Rose seemed to understand and gave her some time. 

“Why hello there my pretty.” a man’s seductive voice came through her head. Great, now she was going crazy. “You’re not going crazy Bright.” The voice continued, “I understand this must be surprising. But I assure you I mean you no harm. In fact, I have been waiting a long time to speak to you and if you will let me, I wish to help.”

“If you wanted to help, you could have done that when I was in prison.” she said in her head. 

“You are a feisty one. If you must know, I tried, however, the runes of the cell prevented me, even with the amulets.”

Bright looked at the amulet that was stuck around her neck. “The amulet that Orchid gave me allows you to talk to me? But, who are you?”

Rose perked up when she saw Bright moving around again. “That’s a pretty necklace. Looks expensive. I was wondering why they didn’t take it from you.”

Bright heard the voice say something about being rudely interrupted. “Oh, probably because even I can’t take it off. A little gift from Orchid.”

Rose’s eyes widened but she didn’t pursue the subject. “Well, are you ready to hear what’s going on now?” Bright nodded. “So, Lord Mace of Scarcewall, my boss, and Lord Second of Feline, your boss, have united over an issue with a powerful witch. She’s been sending worgs to attack the area. Your Feline army, if you could call it that, has been stationed to fend off the attacks but have not been able to push back the worgs on their own so your Lord made a deal with my Lord. We’re currently heading to the front lines. It’s a couple days away in carriage.”

Bright still didn’t understand, “Okay, and where do I fit into all this?”

Rose smiled, “Well you’re tough to kill right? You saw how fast you healed!” Bright was going to counter that but Rose interrupted, “Here, read this. It’s from your Lord. Should explain everything apparently.”

Bright broke the seal and read the letter out loud. 

Bright of Feline,

You are being given a second chance to prove yourself. If you aid on this quest to protect Feline to rid us of the witch Rivera, you will be pardoned and welcomed home. 

The Scarcewall Knights are running the operation. Follow their orders as if they were my own. 

Lord Second.

“Jokes on him, I don’t follow orders from anyone.” blurted Bright.

Rose laughed with a hint of something else… pity, sorrow? “I’m beginning to really like you Bright. The world is a shitty place. Especially for you hun.”

“Brash said that too. Why do you say creepy shit like that? Is that a Scarcewall thing?” Bright was getting some weird vibes from this. 

“Demonhearts are always in danger. Humans hunt you. Demons hunt you. Other demonhearts especially, hunt you. They all want a bite from that demonic heart of yours and run off more powerful than before.”

Bright shuddered; she hadn’t made that connection until now and realised she was in trouble. Still, that doesn’t explain why she’s being sent to the front lines to fight a witch. “So, what’s the point of sending me to fight a witch again? I have no experience with fighting witches and even less with worgs.”

“All I can say is that you are the plan B. In case everything fails, sort of thing. If the witch manages to take out the knights and army, you could use that element of surprise and your superior abilities to take her down.”

Bright sighed in frustration, “Rose, you’re not stupid, and you know I’m not stupid either. That makes no sense to send me in there after trained soldiers and Scarcewall Knights would fail.”

“Look Bright, I like you, but…” Rose hesitated, “But that’s all I know. I’m sure you’ll get briefed on the full plan when you get there.”

Silence fell between them and as soon as it did, the voice came back. 

“Finally, she shut up.” he said, “Where were we? Ah yes, the matter of who I am. Would it surprise you if I told you I was Raze?”

“You’re Raze? But you sound… much older than a child.” she hesitated, something felt off. 

“We demonspawns grow up fast. At any rate, Orchid wanted us to help each other. And it does look like you need help. And here I am, graciously offering you the help you so desperately need.”

“What do you even know of my needs.” Bright didn’t know why but she didn’t feel like dealing with a snarky demonspawn despite the little voice inside her head that told her she didn’t have a whole lot of options. 

“Well, I am connected to you telepathically, so I think I have a pretty good idea. I think I’ve gathered enough information already to know you’re going to need my help to fight the witch.” he offered. 

“Aside from pestering me in my mind, what can you do exactly? And why should I even trust you?” If he would give up on her for being challenging, may as well get rid of him now at this point. No point in hiding her displeasure.

“Oh, such bitterness and so ungrateful. I think I will let the situation you are in sink in a bit more. Good luck, you will need it!” and there was silence. 

Bright sighed in relief to finally get some peace. All in one day she leaves prison, gets carted across the countryside as part of some nonsensical plot, and then a voice in her head from some self proclaimed benevolent demonspawn appears out of nowhere. Still, despite how crazy it sounded, given she’s a demonheart, demonspawn are known to be natural allies. Demonspawn have no interest in eating demon hearts. Demonhearts, being ever hunted, can often use a powerful ally like a demonspawn. Together they can fend off humans and demons together. Like the image, in the book she found at Orchids on that fateful day. It seemed obvious in hindsight, why Orchid took such an interest in her. 

“Hey Bright, come on, we’re stopping here for the night.” Rose led her to the room of a small town inn. As soon as the door closed, she emptied the contents of a large bag revealing a set of leather armour, two daggers, a pouch of thieves' tools and some bandages. 

“What’s all this?” asked Bright.

“Well remember the part where I said I like you?” she pointed at the contents, “I figured the least I could do for a gal down on her luck is help set her up with some stuff.”

The armour fit Bright perfectly. It was used but well made. And as a bonus, the leather underlayer naturally covered her scar.

“How does it feel?” asked Rose while she was tying up the last few straps.

“Pretty good actually.” Bright moved her arms, flexed and crouched. She grabbed the set of daggers and slipped them into the sheathes on her back. “Nice!”

“You move well. Light and quick.” Rose noted. 

“I have some experience with not getting noticed. Knives too. Of course, these daggers are much better than knives.” she pulled them out and felt their weight in her hands. 

Rose nodded, “In that case, it may be a good idea to give you some pointers. I know my way around daggers.”

They had been in the carriage since early morning when Rose finally broke the silence. “Hey, so I have one final thing for you.” she handed Bright a small black vial.

“Is this… poison?” Having worked for Orchid was already paying off. 

“Smart girl.” nodded Rose, “I don’t know what you will face out there. But this little vial has saved my life several times. If used at the right time, it can do that for you too.”

Bright stored the vial in her leather bag. “Rose, I can’t thank you enough.” 

“Bah, please don’t, really, it’s nothing.” Rose winked, “You’re easy to like. Maybe too easy. Just, be careful and trust your instincts.”


End file.
